Posts Tagged ‘microFIT’

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Ontario First Nation Solar Installation to Create Jobs for PV Course Graduates

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Toronto’s SkyPower Limited (SkyPower) has announced plans to build a new 10 MW solar panel installation at Fort William First Nation in Thunder Bay, Ontario.  The project will help to create up to 100 jobs for graduates of the region’s solar panel installation courses and when complete, it will mark the first system of its size built on First Nations land in Canada.

SkyPower finances, develops, owns, and manages solar projects across Ontario.  Its 9 MW First Light I project in Stone Mills debuted in 2009 as Canada’s first-ever utility-scale solar park.  The company helped to create more than 100 jobs in the region during the project’s construction and the facility generates enough solar energy to power up to 10,000 homes.  SkyPower’s latest project in Fort William is currently under construction and will involve approximately 45,000 solar panels installed over about forty hectares (100 acres) of land.  The solar company plans to complete the project by the summer of 2011 and expects it to generate enough solar energy to power 17,000 homes and offset thousands of tonnes, annually, of the greenhouse gases produced by conventional energy sources such as oil or coal.

Region’s Solar Industry Supported by Ontario’s Green Energy Act

Ontario benefits from a robust solar industry that is buoyed by its Green Energy and Green Economy Act (Green Energy Act).  The Act was signed into law in 2009 and gave the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) the tools it required to offer its feed-in tariff (FIT) program.  The FIT helps to create jobs and stimulates the economy by paying green energy producers high prices – up to 80.2 cents per kW-hour – for power they generate using solar, wind, biomass, and hydroelectric installations of varying sizes.  It also gives rise to new educational streams like solar panel installation courses and post-secondary green tech programs.

With its latest project in Fort William, SkyPower continues to contribute green energy solutions to Ontario’s power supply mix while it takes advantage of the favourable business climate created by the FIT.  “This successful partnership demonstrates our commitment to strategic partnerships in renewable energy,” says the company’s President and CEO, Kerry Adler, “and we continue to explore similar opportunities to ensure a brighter future for future generations.”

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Ontario’s FIT, MicroFIT Projects Subject to New Fees

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

As of March 15, Ontario’s green energy producers will be subject to a new set of fees for applications they make for feed-in tariff (FIT), microFIT, and other renewable power projects.  The province has a rapidly-expanding market for solar, wind, and other clean power sources that has created thousands of kilowatts (kW) of green energy and boosted the careers of workers in these industries.  In exchange for the new Renewable Energy Approval fees, the Ministry of the Environment will streamline the approvals process in order to make it easier for businesses, organizations, and individuals to participate in this emerging area in the future.

The FIT and microFIT are parts of a government initiative to diversify Ontario’s energy supply mix and to use cleaner forms of energy to replace the province’s coal-fired power plants by 2014.  The programs keep the initiative on course by paying high prices to producers of solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, and biomass energy.  In turn, they provide spin-off benefits like new career opportunities and training courses like Ontario Solar Academy’s PV design and installation training program.

Fees Help Simplify Process, Keep Solar Energy, Career Training on Course

The new Renewable Energy Approval fees, as drafted, range from $1,000 to $67,905, depending on the type and size of project.  However, the Ontario government’s recent decision to impose a moratorium on off-shore wind projects effectively cancels the highest fee, leaving the top payout at $56,458 for on-shore wind farms larger than 50 MW.  Owners of new PV projects will now pay $1,000 for government approval of installations of 500 kW and less and $12,844 for larger solar farms.

According to a government website, “The Renewable Energy Approval simplifies the number and types of approvals required for new renewable energy projects, integrating environmental, health, and safety matters previously dealt with by a number of provincial, municipal and proponent-driven processes into one process.”  While Ontario’s new fees may present an obstacle for newcomers to the province’s green energy industry, the recent decision reflects the government’s responsibility to ensure that this new market evolves into a long-term, stable sector of the economy that helps to create a healthy and prosperous future for Ontarians.

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SkyPower’s and Fort William First Nation Create Renewable Energy Jobs

Monday, February 21st, 2011

SkyPower Limited (SkyPower), a Toronto-based solar energy company, recently signed an agreement with the Fort Williams First Nation (FWFN) to create a solar park project in Thunder Bay, Ontario.  This particular solar project is special in that it marks the first time this type of large-scale solar energy project has taken place on First Nation Land in Canada.  Covering about 100 acres of Fort William First Nation land in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the park is not notable simply for its size and scope, but it is also expected be a generous source of new renewable energy jobs for qualified individuals with solar PV course training.

“In Ontario, it is essential that we are continuously driving and fostering innovative relationships in the clean energy sector.  We are pleased to be a part of such a unique agreement to develop this solar park,” said Kerry Adler, SkyPower President and CEO.  “Since the founding of Toronto-based SkyPower, we have always sought unique opportunities for collaboration and partnership with First Nation communities.”  He continued, “This successful partnership demonstrates our commitment to strategic partnerships in renewable energy and we continue to explore similar opportunities to ensure a brighter future for future generations.”

About the Solar Energy Park

Construction of this unique solar energy project will begin in early 2011, with completion currently slated for later this summer.  When the solar park becomes operational, it will generate enough clean energy to power 17,000 homes per year for the next twenty years.  Environmentalists will be happy as the project’s Carbon Dioxide Offset is estimated to be 130,000 tonnes over the expected lifetime of the project.

Agreement Increases Demand for Solar Energy Classes / PV Courses

This agreement is also significant as the partnership will result in an increase in renewable energy jobs in Ontario, thus, helping to boost demand for green professionals who have successfully completed PV courses or solar energy classes in the province’s growing renewable energy market.  By enrolling in schools like Ontario Solar Academy, aspiring solar PV installers can receive their full training and certification in as little as five days.



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Company to Exhibit FIT, MicroFIT-Compliant Solar Trackers at Farm Show

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

Ontario’s SunSations Energy, Inc. (SunSations) has announced that it will exhibit its dual-axis tracking systems for ground-mounted solar energy installations at this year’s Canadian International Farm Show in Toronto.  Ontario has created a booming solar industry that includes renewable energy jobs, PV installation courses, and an abundance of green electricity in the year and three months since the province instituted its feed-in tariff (FIT) and microFIT programs.  This year’s show will present vendors with an opportunity to show farmers how they can profit from these government incentives.

The farm show runs from February 8 to February 10 at the International Centre and will exhibit a wide range of products and services designed to help Canadian farmers in all aspects of their businesses.  Several solar energy companies will take advantage of the event to increase public awareness of their products and services, including Germany’s AS Solar, Inc. and Ethosolar, Inc., based in Barrie, Ontario.

Province Offers Solar Jobs, Renewable Energy Courses

SunSations is based in Guelph, about 100 km west of Toronto.  The company manufactures dual-axis tracking systems that meet the requirements of Ontario’s FIT and microFIT.  The programs pay participating renewable energy producers lucrative rates for power they feed into the grid from solar, wind, and biomass installations.  These incentives have helped to create green jobs for graduates of solar installation courses and for manufacturing plant workers, as well as in support industries such as transportation and the service sector.

SunSations specifically created its tracking system with farmers and the Ontario market in mind.  “Designed and engineered in Ontario for Ontario weather conditions,” says company partner Oliver Jakel, “SunSations has built this system to surpass Ontario Farm Building Code standards in the system’s most vulnerable position – the down position.  If your barn is standing following a storm, your SunSations Tracker will be, too.”  The company’s product, which will be a centrepiece of the farm show, uses a control system that runs effectively at temperatures as low as -40 C.  This makes it well-suited to the harsh winters of Ontario’s more northern climates.  It also sets itself apart from competing products due to its ease and speed of installation.

The SunSations solar tracker is an example of the types of innovations that Ontario and its green energy incentives bring to the province’s economy, and of the ways in which the region helps to move the country in a more productive and sustainable direction.

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BC Investment Firm Moves Into Ontario’s Green Economy

Monday, January 24th, 2011

British Columbia-based League Assets Corporation (League Assets) recently created its Member-Partners Solar Energy Limited Partnership to offer investors a new way to generate revenue while they help Ontario bolster its green economy.   The partner-owned venture invests in rooftop solar arrays in the province that earn money by taking advantage of government green energy incentives.

“This investment is our answer to the hundreds of requests we’ve received from our Member-Partners,” says League Assets’ Founding Partner, Adam Gant.  “Green investing is the right thing to do, and League’s Member-Partners Solar LP is the right way to do it.”

League Assets is an investment firm that offers its clients shared ownership of primarily real estate-based investments.  The company manages the IGW Real Estate Investment Trust, which deals with Canadian commercial and residential properties and currently boasts combined assets worth close to $300 million.  According to its website, League Assets has “partnered with the families of its more than 2,500 Member-Partners.”  Among the company’s other environmental achievements, it provided funding for energy saving equipment at the 2010 Winter Olympics Athlete’s Village; Canada hosted the event in League Assets’ home province.

Investors Help Create Renewable Energy, Careers for Certified Solar Workers

Ontario’s green economy is fuelled by the high prices the provincial government’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program pays to producers of renewable energy who feed their installations into the power grid.  The program continues to lead to the creation of solar, wind, and biofuel energy as well as career opportunities for assembly line workers and certified solar installers across the region.  The FIT’s high prices have also drawn the eyes and bank accounts of investors from across the globe.

“Member-Partners Solar Energy LP will enter into contracts under Ontario’s FIT program,” says the company’s other Founding Partner, Emanuel Arruda, “and the difference (between) our cost to produce the power and what we earn for producing the energy will become profit to be shared by our Member-Partners…. It’s that simple.”

League Assets’ investment in Ontario’s green economy will bring the FIT’s goal, to eliminate coal-fired power generation in the province by 2014, closer to reality.  It also adds to the pool of renewable energy careers in the region and boosts solar certification and other green educational streams, all while it contributes to a more sustainable future.

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Sustainable Energy’s Latest, Largest PV Installation Project on Course in Ontario

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Sustainable Energy Technologies, Ltd. (Sustainable Energy) has recently announced that an unnamed tracking photovoltaic (PV) installation, which is on course to become the largest of its kind in the province, will use the company’s SUNERGY inverters.  Company policy prohibits it from releasing certain information about its clients, but Sustainable Energy revealed basic details of the latest venture to the media.  The project, located in Eastern Ontario, will be capable of producing more than 500 kW of renewable energy, and its construction will create work for the region’s career solar installers and recent PV course graduates.

Sustainable Energy expects its unnamed business partner to complete its installation by the end of the year.  The company is excited to have its name attached to such a large undertaking.  “This project establishes the SUNERGY inverter as the product of choice in Ontario for solar tracker projects,” says Sustainable Energy’s CEO, Michael Carten, “especially in the fast-growing microFIT market.”  The Calgary-based company has offices in Toronto and abroad in Spain, Greece, and Japan.  According to its website, its proprietary inverters have “demonstrated the ability to convert operating voltages as low as 10 volts while still achieving better than 90% electrical conversion efficiencies.”

Advanced Technology Aids FIT Projects, Renewable Energy Careers

Ontario’s feed-in tariff (FIT) and microFIT programs pay green energy producers high prices for power they feed into the grid from solar, wind, and biomass systems.  The programs create renewable energy and career opportunities and inspire new kinds of educational services, such as PV installation courses.

Sustainable Energy’s solar tracker is perfect for Ontario’s widely variable climate, as it operates at temperatures as low as -40 C.  It also generates up to 40% more solar energy, and at a lower cost, than its static counterparts.  SUNERGY is the only tracker-mounted solar inverter available for the FIT and microFIT markets, and is the only grid-tie inverter that offers parallel design capabilities for larger systems with the cost and ease-of-use of lower-voltage models.

The SUNERGY inverter’s sustained presence in Ontario will give the solar industry a leg up in efficiency and versatility, which in turn will boost the market, bringing Ontarians greater sustainability, cleaner air, and jobs for renewable energy workers.

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Solar Training Ontario – One Engineer’s Story of Classroom Success

Friday, January 14th, 2011

Back in October of 2010, C-T Wire Prep Inc. (C-T) was right in the middle of three separate 10 megawatt solar projects to provide all the DC wiring connections from the solar panels to the combiner boxes.  These 3 projects were equal in value to the entire yearly business that C-T had invoiced up to that point and involved processing 4 million feet of wire.  With that successful year coming to a close, C-T management decided to have a deeper look into the solar window, so to speak.

Thomas Collins, C-T Wire Prep Engineer, was assigned the task of finding out what was going on in the solar industry because of his previous interest in and implementation of two solar systems in Tanzania and Kenya.  His main goal was to see if there were other solar opportunities available to C-T.  This is his story on how he approached the task and the impact it had on where he works.

Thomas Collins Solar Energy Analysis

I was given the assignment in October of 2010 to find out more about the solar industry and if there might be more opportunities for C-T to become more involved.  I started querying our 3 customers we had found by pure accident through our wire harness manufacturing facility.  I received some basic information from my customers, but a lot of the terminology and my general lack of inside knowledge about why solar had become so popular all of the sudden in Ontario were still mysteries.  So like anyone who has an Internet connection, I started to do some online searching on solar information.

One of my searches “ solar training Ontario” yielded exactly what I needed as I drilled down into the websites and came up with the Ontario Solar Academy.  This was a perfect fit for me as it was located only an hour away.  It offered a 5-day solar training course that seemed to be just what I needed.  I checked out a few other offerings and eventually decided on the Academy.  They were big on NABCEP, which I had learned from my 3 customers was a well-recognized designation that solar professionals such as designers, installers, or integrators covet as a benchmark to achieve.

I submitted my request to management asking to take the course and received approval to start the next schedule solar class in late October.  The course was indeed exactly what I needed to put C-T in the solar arena.  It was well taught by a qualified, NABCEP-certified instructor over the week, and employed great hands-on solar training as well.  I was so impressed I also signed up for the advanced 2-day solar course on Electrical Code.  Again that course was well taught and provided a great foundation for where C-T is proceeding in the solar business.  The course offered anyone to sit for the NABCEP entry level exam as well, so I proceeded to do that and should be NABCEP certified in the near future.

After I finished the two courses, C-T management requested a report on solar opportunities outlining where it might enter into the business further.  I submitted a business plan to form a solar installation division that would seek out microFIT and FIT solar installation opportunities.  The plan was approved, and we then sent another employee to the 5-day course so we would have two employees head up the supervision and implementation of the new division.  With equipment for solar site analysis purchased, as well as fall and arrest training in place, we are now doing solar site analysis for 25 microFIT and FIT opportunities coming in the spring, with more opportunities arising daily.

The other side benefit we discovered is our 3 solar farm customers are now seeking us out for site design and wiring.  It is so much better when we can enter their premises and talk intelligently about their needs.  So far, we have lined up 120 megawatts of wiring needs for a total of 32 million feet of wiring to be processed.

As we are now just past the new year, C-T Wire Prep and its Solar Power Installation division are gearing up for a record-breaking year thanks to that search I did for solar training Ontario and my stumbling upon Ontario Solar Academy.  Thank you Jacob for putting together such a robust solar program, and I wholeheartedly recommend your courses to anyone who has an interest in solar or wants to start a solar business.

Thomas Collins
Engineering Dept.
C-T Wire Prep Inc.

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Another MicroFIT Solar Project Underway in Thunder Bay

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

Solar Logix, Inc. (Solar Logix) has begun construction on an innovative new residential microFIT solar installation in Thunder Bay, Ontario.  The project is the thirty-sixth the company has installed in the city since July of last year, and in that time, Solar Logix has helped more than thirty workers find solar energy careers.

“We’ve grown a lot,” says Jason Richat, Solar Logix’s General Manager.  Based in Thunder Bay, the company is a full-service provider of rooftop and ground-mounted solar energy systems.  Solar Logix’s latest installation is a solar tracking unit shaped like a large sail, with fifty-two photovoltaic (PV) panels that move to follow the sun.  Like all of the company’s installations, it will meet the requirements of the province’s microFIT program.

Ontario’s microFIT allows home-owners and businesses to earn up to 80.2 cents/kW-hour for energy they feed into the province’s power grid from renewable sources such as solar, wind, and biomass.  The program, which covers projects up to 10 kW capacity, and its companion for larger projects, simply called the feed-in tariff (FIT), create job opportunities like solar energy careers and training programs like PV installation classes to help workers make the switch to the new green energy economy.

City Ideal for Solar Energy Installations, PV Class Grads Entering New Careers

Thunder Bay is home to a number of FIT and microFIT projects, including a rooftop system at the Northern Lights Credit Union building on Amber drive, a product of Solar Logix, and another at Dufresne Furniture, which sits across the street from the credit union.  The city is prime real estate for solar installations, as its location in Ontario allows it to take part in the FIT and microFIT and gives it access to PV installation classes and other “green” educational opportunities.  According to the city’s website, it is also “the sunniest city in eastern Canada, with an average of 2,167.7 hours of bright sunshine each year.”

With the help of the Ontario government, Mother Nature, and Solar Logix, Thunder Bay is well-positioned to help both its own and the province’s economies become richer while providing them with clean, renewable energy.

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Owen Sound to Consider Joining Green Economy

Friday, January 7th, 2011

City Council in Owen Sound, Ontario, will soon decide whether the municipality will join the province’s green economy with a pair of ground-mounted solar installations on city-owned property.

Within the next few months, Owen Sound’s Environmental Superintendent, Chris Hughes, will present a plan to Council for two 10 kW installations that the city’s Environmental and Waste Advisory Committee expects to cost $171,000 before taxes.  The projects will generate revenue by participating in the Ontario Power Authority’s (OPA’s) lucrative microFIT program.  The committee reviewed proposals from nine different companies and selected Toronto’s Essex Energy Corporation (Essex Energy) to build photovoltaic systems at the Kiwanis Soccer Complex and at a public works facility in the city.  Essex Energy is a division of Essex Power Corporation (Essex Power) that specializes in renewable energy systems and distributed generation.

Ontario’s microFIT pays above-market rates, locked into twenty-year contracts, to owners of small-scale alternative energy-generating installations who tie their projects into the province’s power grid.  The program and its companion feed-in tariff (FIT) for larger projects create clean power as well as jobs for graduates of photovoltaic training classes.

Projects Would Create Alternative Energy, Jobs for Photovoltaic Class Graduates

“It’s environmentally responsible.  It’s cost-neutral to begin with and, ultimately, it will be a source of revenue for the city in the future,” says Councillor Bill Twaddle, Chairman of the advisory committee.  The projects, if approved, will also create jobs in the region, as the FIT and microFIT require participating developers to acquire up to 60% of materials and labour from within the province.

If City Council agrees to take on the projects, the two photovoltaic installations will represent Owen Sound’s first foray into alternative energy since the province began to offer financial incentives for clean electricity.  “This is kind of a small introduction into the whole thing,” says Councillor Twaddle.  The committee expects the solar installations to pay for themselves within ten years and generate income for the city for the remainder of the microFIT contracts.  Owen Sound’s entry into the solar market brings the region into step with many other municipalities that, with the help of the OPA and graduates of the province’s photovoltaic classes, do their part to take Ontario into a greener future.

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A Technological Match Made in Heaven for the Solar Industry

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

AVACOS Solar (AVACOS) has announced its completion of an experimental green energy project in residential Toronto, Ontario that includes a 4.6 kW rooftop PV installation and uses several other environmentally-friendly building techniques.

AVACOS is an Ontario-based designer, developer, and manager of solar PV projects.  The company hopes to receive prestigious LEED Platinum Certification for its newly- completed residential project, which adds high-efficiency R-35 insulation, geothermal heating and cooling, and reclaimed building materials to the list of ways it minimizes its impact on the environment.

The new property, situated at an undisclosed location, was constructed by Toronto’s South Park Design Build.  The property’s rooftop installation is Canada’s first to combine SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.’s (SANYO’s) HIT Double solar modules with DuROCK Alfacing International, Ltd.’s (DuROCK’s) Tio-Coat roofing membrane.

SANYO is a well-known global electronics company with operations in Canada.  Its innovative HIT Double panels absorb solar energy from both sides, giving solar installers a more versatile material capable of 30% more energy output than conventional one-sided modules.  Woodbridge-based DuROCK is a family-owned producer of finishes and coatings.  The company’s Tio-Coat is a urethane coating that, when applied to the rooftop, provides 89% weather resistance and reflects a large percent of the sun’s rays.  This property makes Tio-Coat perfect to combine with SANYO’s arrays, as the back sides of the panels can absorb the reflected sunlight.  Windsor-based Schletter Canada, Inc. contributed its racking systems to the project.

Company, Province Open Doors for Workers with Solar PV Training

Koshi Terakawa, President of SANYO’s Canadian division, was reportedly pleased that AVACOS had successfully opened the door for HIT Double’s entrance into the residential market.  Currently, Ontario offers rich compensation to homeowners who generate renewable energy that they feed into the electrical grid under its microFIT program.  The microFIT and its companion program for larger projects, the FIT, have helped to create a number of employment and training opportunities in the solar PV market.  Solar projects receive some of the highest prices under the FIT, which has spurred rapid growth in the industry.  To keep up with the demand for solar installers, programs like Ontario Solar Academy’s solar PV training courses prepare new and seasoned workers alike for the future of energy generation.

AVACOS plans to employ its winning combination of eco-friendly technologies in its developments Canada-wide.  This will give the country’s solar industry and its PV workers competitive edges in the global race to sustainability.

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